The Rose
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: A vampire comes back to the AX after her latest assignment.   Hugue can't stand her ;  but she's everywhere, even in his dreams.   But one friend knows her secret …  Hugue/OC/Isaak,   yay for LOVE TRIANGLES !   slight Abel/Esther,   slight Tres/OC
1. Some Say Love, It Is a River

**Don't own Trinity Blood. WISH I did. If I did Hugue would show up more and his shirt would be off more than it already has been... ;P**

The young-looking ebony-haired lady laughed racuously at one of her associates' jokes. "Ah, how I've missed that keen sense of humor, Casan," she chuckled. "You're always the death of the party."

"She's right," another, a redhead by the name of Bartolomeo, agreed, taking a gulp of his drink. "You're such a riot, Cas!"

The one with the white hair in a crew cut smiled modestly, his eyes somewhere between violet and lavender sparking. "Ah, well, you know how Terrans are, am I right?"

"Oh, yes," the lady answered. "Everyone loves a good 'stupid Terran'joke, Casan." She twirled her own wineglass by its thin stem, the deep red liquid sloshing around gently inside.

"Not thirsty tonight, Miss Murder?"

She looked up, at the normally silent, stoic (not to mention painfully sexy) member of their assemblage. "So, you've noticed." She took a small sip of her drink. "You're not one to comment on such things, Isaak. You usually just keep your mouth shut, drink - whether wine or blood, it doesn't matter to you - and smoke your 'fancy Cuban cigars'." She pushed back some of her bangs, revealing her Paint It Black eyeshadow, and licking her Carnal Carmine lipstick. "And you usually leave before now."

Isaak leaned back, amusing himself with a strand of his charcoal hair as he took another puff from his cigar. "Well, my superior has given me the week off," he explained, blowing a cloud of smoke, "so I'm free, dear."

The woman narrowed her eyes in a decidedly seductive manner. "Where _are_ you always running off to, Isaak?"

"That's none of your business, Miss Murder."

She sighed. "Honestly, Isaak, must you be so reticent?" She pressed the tip of her black-polished fingernail against her bottom lip. "You're making me wonder about you. Think about following you when you leave the next time."

"You better not, if you care about your death, dear."

She rolled her red eyes. "You're such a mystery, Isaak."

"As it should be."

She perked up as she heard Ashlee Simpson's "Shadow". Excusing herself from her colleagues, she walked to the hallway, her high heels clacking on the tile, and opened her cell. "Bless you for calling. Who is this?" She kept her voice low; if they knew she was working with _them_... they'd cut her from the group, and then, she'd be of no use.

"Miss Twilight?"

"Father. What's the matter?"

"The Duchess wants you back to base immediately. She wants you to stay out of harm's way - the attacks have become more violent, and you shouldn't be on the front lines."

Twilight looked back at her circle of false friends and sighed. "I'm busy, Father."

"She doesn't care what you're doing. She says 'Come back here by tomorrow afternoon or you're fired, and you better be here, because we can't afford to lose you'."

She shook her head. The Duchess certainly had an odd way of saying that she cared. "I... guess I can take the next 'flight' out of here, Father."

"Thank you. I _really_ don't want to argue with the Duchess right now... I do believe she's starting her cycle, and after that, she gets _vicious_."

"Ahhhh, the PMSing Duchess of Milan. Certainly a force to be reckoned with. I'll be there by tomorrow morning, Father Abel."

"Thank you. I'll see you then, Miss Twilight."

"Bye."

"Good-bye."

Twilight snapped her phone shut. Rubbing her temple, she walked back into the restaurant. "I'm sorry, you guys," she apologized, picking up her purse. "Something came up. I have to go back to Rome."

Isaak raised an eyebrow. "Who's being elusive now, Miss Murder?"

"Look, I'm not in the mood, Isaak. I really have to go - I have to be there by tomorrow, so I need to catch the next flight."

"Kheh-heh-heh," Casan chuckled. "Flight. Good one, Miss Murder."

"Uh, yeah." She put some coins down on the table. "There's my share. Someone can have the rest of mine, I don't care."

She turned and walked out, tying her hair up with a glittering gold ribbon. She'd better get going, if she wanted to make it on time.

She stepped outside the building, letting the wind whip her ponytail around her face. It was cold tonight; nearly winter. Soon, she wouldn't have to worry about putting a cloak on before she went outside; the sun wouldn't be out as often.

She hid behind the building, then jumped up, and took off into the sky.

-xxx-

"Father Hugue! Welcome back, welcome back!" The clumsy white-haired priest held out his hand for the other to shake.

The blonde, Hugue, ignored his hand. "It's actually good to _be_ back, Father Nightroad. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check in with Ms. Sforza."

"Ah! I'm headed that way, too!" The other skipped happily until he was beside Hugue. "I'll come with you. It's been ever so lonely without anyone around..."

Hugue rolled his eyes mentally. Was this going to be a long walk off a short pier. "You don't say."

Abel nodded, pushing his glasses up. "In fact, I do have someone else coming, as well! Won't be so lonely with her around. She's always the... _life_ of the party. The Duchess wanted her here, because the Methuselah attacks are getting more violent, even though they _are_ her own people." He shrugged, playing with his ponytail. "I suppose it's quite probable they may harm her, as well. I mean, especially if they ever found out she worked with us." He shuddered. "I truly fear what may happen to her, if they were to discover she was an undercover AX agent. Why, they might throw her into the sunlight, or press something silver to her chest! Something that may kill her!"

Hugue froze in his mind, but kept walking. "This one... is a vampire?"

Abel nodded. "Oh, yes! Her name is Miss Twilight Raye. She's such a dear. Of course, once she comes back from hanging around the other vampires, she's bound to be a bit coarse from their attitudes." He laughed, rather loudly. "Oh, last time she came back after being around them, we would be sitting around a table in a restaurant - her, Esther, Petros, and I - and she would start telling the most _hilarious_ stupid Terran jokes!" He wiped his eye, as if he were crying from laughter. "There was this one - and she would explain how hard it was to adjust from the real blood she drank with them, to the artificial stuff we provide for her." He waved his hand, still laughing like a madman. "She's such a riot, that one, when we get her round the table, drinking her synthetic blood. Too much of it makes her loopy, you know. She'll pretend she's a crazed vampire! She'll lean over and nibble on Petros's neck a bit, giggling like mad, saying, 'Oh, you taste so good, Brother!', being all flirtatious and such, and she'll take mine or Esther's gold cross - for gold doesn't hurt her - and press it to her breast, shrieking, 'It burns, it burns!'And she'll order something with garlic on accident, then run to the bathroom to spit it out, retching, then come right back and try to eat it again. I usually end up performing the Heimlich on her!" He sighed contentedly. "Ah, yes, it sure will be nice to have Miss Twilight back again. Perhaps you could come with us next time! Once she calms down from being with the raucous vampires, she's really very quiet, keeps to herself. You two would get along perfectly after she's adapted back to her life here - neither of you would say a thing!" **(1)**

As Abel laughed at his own joke, Hugue's fists tightened. Him, associate with a vampire? Only when he was trying to send it to hell. _Maybe_. "Yes, well... I'm rather busy, you know? Might not have the time..."

"Ohhhh!" Abel hung on Hugue's arm, pouting in the most adorable way, that would make even a cold-blooded killer (or perhaps Chuck Norris) rethink his words. Then again, Hugue wasn't Chuck Norris. "Dear God, Father Hugue, don't _tell_ me you're leaving again! You _just_ got _back_!"

"Not for at least another month. But just the same, I still have other matters here."

Abel sighed. "You're really _such_ a killjoy, Father Hugue."

**(1) - FOR GOD'S SAKE ABEL SHUT THE HELL UP. YOU MAKE ME WANNA SMACK YOU, AND I _WROTE_ YOUR F'ING MONOLOGUE THINGY. XD**

**... I'm a weirdo... review if you wish... I know it's not a popular series but I lurv it... ^^**


	2. That Drowns the Tender Reed

Twilight made a sour face as she first tasted the thing she hadn't in at least two months: fake blood. "Ecccchhhhhh." She felt like gagging.

Caterina chuckled at the expression on Twilight's face. "No good, Miss Murder?"

"No, it's fine, Ms. Sforza," Twilight assured her. "I've just been drinking real blood for two months. It's hard to get back to the inorganic stuff. You know? Not that I'd drink anyone's blood here... I only drink blood if I don't know who it came from, or if it came from donors. I really don't wanna drink the real kind, but sometimes, the artificial tastes bitter at first."

"I sympathize." The Duchess's eyes drifted to the wall clock, and her smile vanished. "Where _is_ that adorably awkward albino priest? He's supposed to be coming to pick you up."

Twilight smiled. "Father Abel's coming? Yay!"

"He should _be_ here already. And Father Hugue said he'd be back today, so he _should_ be checking in with me."

She sighed, giggling. "Priests are unreliable!"

"Don't I know it? I _should_ fire the whole damn lot of them, what with all the stress they cause me!" She shook her head. "They all _know_ I have problems with my blood pressure."

Twilight pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Her gold earrings sparkled as she gently shook her head, clearing her bangs from her face. "I do so love Father Abel, but he makes it so hard to love him, you know."

All of a sudden, the door opened. This revealed Father Abel Nightroad, as well as a blonde man with green eyes whom Twilight didn't know and had never seen before. She did, however, jump up and throw her arms around Abel gleefully, regardless. "Father Abel!"

Abel laughed, hugging her back tightly. "Miss Twilight Raye! How good it is to see you again!" He kissed the top of her head. "It is so good that you've returned safe!"

As he pulled away, Twilight could see a hint of blush on his cheeks. She chuckled darkly, as she was sure the other two could see, as well. "Ah, Father Abel," she scoffed. "Married to the Lord, indeed!"

"Ahhhhh..." Abel crossed his arms, the blush getting darker. "M-Miss Twilight! Just because I have temptations, that does _not_ mean I cannot resist them! I _have_ willpower! And you _know_ I would never act that way towards _you_!"

"Ah, I know." Twilight sat back down. "I've missed out on two months of teasing you, Father Abel! I've got to make up for it, you know."

"Well... so you must." He glanced at the blonde man. "Oh! Where _are_ my manners today? First, I forgot to say good morning to Esther, and now, this!" He used a sweeping gesture to indicate the blonde. "This is Father Hugue de Watteau. Father Hugue, it is my pleasure to introduce Miss Twilight Raye."

Twilight held out her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Father Hugue."

Hugue nodded at her. "Charmed, I'm sure."

A bit hurt and slightly insulted that he hadn't shaken her hand, she drew it back slowly. "You know," she said lowly, turning her head away from him bitterly, "just because I carry the Bacillus virus, you don't have to treat me as if I'm the enemy, Father Hugue. The only way it's contagious is if I bite you, which isn't going to happen, or through the exchange of saliva - again, _not_ going to happen unless we act like high-schoolers and play Seven Minutes in Heaven."

The tension thickened after Twilight had stated that. Abel looked quickly from one person to the other, as they were glaring laser beams at each other; his raving red, hers violent violet. Abel stepped forward, carefully taking Twilight by the shoulders, making an attempt to distract her from her death-glare match - of which both she and Hugue were the undisputed champions, so he _really_ didn't want them to battle it out... if their death glares clashed for real, they'd end up destroying half the world, plus the Vatican and AX base. "Miss Twilight! Please, let me take you to the kitchen. You must be hungry after your long 'flight' back to the mission!" He laughed loudly at his own pun, but his laughter slowed and eventually stopped when he realized that nobody else was laughing.

"Hmmph." Twilight simply turned around, breaking eye contact with Hugue, and plunked herself down in her seat. "I think I'll simply stay here, Father Abel. But if you'd like to bring me something, I wouldn't object. The artificial blood isn't always as filling as the real thing, as you know."

She saw Hugue's body visibly tense, which made her smirk triumphantly in her mind. How cute; a priest afraid of vampires. He must not know that Abel was a vampire - else, he'd be running for the hills.

Abel nodded, though _extremely_ reluctant to leave Hugue and Twilight _alone_ in the _same_ room. "O-Of course, Miss Twilight! I'll get you something that doesn't remind you of blood... perhaps something blue, or purple? Blueberries, or a plum, or maybe-"

Unfortunately, he turned to leave just as someone had been opening the door. Having gotten smacked in the face, he stumbled backward, mumbling incoherently.

Twilight hurried over to the priest, trying to help him regain his admittedly miniscule grace. "Are you okay, Father Abel?" She brushed his cloak off. "Did you get any splinters, or a concussion?"

Abel shook his head briskly, his ponytail nearly slapping her in the face. "Oh, I'm fine, dear! Right as rain! Just got a bit dizzy, there."

A young Alessandro poked his head through the door. He gasped when he saw Abel. "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry!" He came inside. "I didn't know that anyone was standing there... are you alright, Father?"

Abel nodded, giving the boy a grin. "I'm wonderful! In fact, I thank you for that, Your Holiness! Someone _needed_ to give me a good whack to the face. I was still half asleep!"

"You should have asked _me_," Twilight said in a sultry manner. "I would have been more than glad to give you a couple of lashes with a wet noodle."

Abel raised an eyebrow. "A _wet noodle_, Miss Twilight?"

"We're in Italy. Spaghetti's common over here, non, Père?" She waved her hand. "Ah, you must excuse my language. I've just gotten back from Paris, you see." She smiled. "What a beautiful little city! Lights everywhere, and the French never sleep, much like the New Yorkers! I looked out my window at half past midnight - I almost stayed inside, because I mistook all the lights for the morning sun!"

"I wish I could go to Paris," Alessandro commented, walking closer to his sister's desk. "I hear it's quite lovely. I can speak French rather fluently... but I've never really had the chance to try it out with a native speaker."

"Shame," Twilight answered. "It really _is_ an experience, speaking a language with someone who's lived there for their whole life. And the original French have such a charming accent! It's not something you can gain from simply studying the language, you know."

Alessandro smiled at her. "I... don't believe I've had the pleasure." He bowed lowly, taking her hand. "Alessandro XVIII, the 339th Pope." He lightly kissed her hand, then straightened up. "And you are?"

She looked down. "Twilight Raye."

"Miss Twilight." He kissed her hand again. "Beautiful."

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Holiness. Enchanté."

Alessandro handed some papers to Caterina. "Here. I just dropped by to give you these, sister."

Caterina nodded in gratitude. "Thank you."

The younger suddenly turned away, burying his face in his arm, and sneezed quietly. "Oh... excuse me."

There was a "Gesundheit" from Hugue, and two "Bless you"s from Caterina and Abel. Everyone, Alessandro included, stared at Twilight.

Twilight closed her eyes halfway, and avoided Hugue's disapproving gaze by focusing her eyes on Alessandro. "God bless you, Your Holiness." Hugue obviously thought she was unable to say anything religious. Well, that would show _him_.

Alessandro nodded. "Thank you. I best be going now. It was nice seeing all of you, and nice to meet you, Miss Twilight." He left, closing the door and making sure Abel wasn't in the way this time, and smiling rather shyly at Twilight.

"I like him," Twilight said, folding her hands in her lap. "He seems nice, if a bit... awkward, and slightly... hormonal. But that's how all teenagers are, you know."

"How come you've never met?" Caterina asked. "He inducted you, didn't he?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, he was out of town at the time. I think it was his brother who inducted me - Francesco di Medici, I believe."

As Abel left, Caterina turned her attention to Hugue. "So, you're back unharmed, Father Hugue?"

He nodded. "Virtually."

"Where on _Earth_ do you go when you leave by yourself?"

Hugue turned to leave. "I am not obliged to reveal that information, Ms. Sforza, and I do not wish to."

"Isn't he pleasant?" Twilight muttered under her breath. "A regular Cheery Charlie, if you ask _me_."

"I'm not out of the room yet, you know."

"Well, maybe someone _ought_ to tell you," she shot back. "You're casting all of _your_ negative energy on everyone around you. That's how it works - much like the Bacillus, negativity spreads like a virus. And I, for one, am _not_ okay with that. I just got back from my mission, and I'd _like_ to stay happy for more than about five seconds. Can't really do that when you're around, pervading your pessimistic aura in all directions, sucking every bit of happiness up like a big black hole that engulfs every shred of light, now, _can_ I?"

"Please get to the point. If you're going to request something of me, just come out and say it, if you wouldn't mind."

"Don't harsh my _mood_ with your _'tude_, dude."

Caterina sighed. "Father Hugue, I think you know where her resident room is - right across from yours. Please escort her there, to make sure she doesn't find Brother Petros and _hug_ him to death. Or find Leon and pick a fight, because she loves getting that man going on all six cylinders until he's ready to cut her in half."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Madame Cardinal," Twilight said flatly.

"And why not?"

"Because he obviously can't stand me. We'll probably end up in a fight along the way." She ran her eyes up and down Hugue's body, wishing suddenly that vampires had the power to see through clothes. "And, no offense to myself... but he looks like he can kick ass and blow me clear through a damn wall."

"I probably could," Hugue answered, even though no one had been talking directly to him. He narrowed his eyes. "Vampire."

"There! There it is, Madame Cardinal!" Twilight held out her hand, palm-up, fingers pointing down, at the priest. "Did you see that? And did you hear the way he said it? He is quite clearly burning up for me with an intense hatred that blazes with the white-hot fury and passion of a thousand suns! I do believe I've found the reason for his hating me! It's because I'm a vampire!" She laughed. "Racist priest! That's a new one. I'll have to tell the gang _this_ joke next time I see them..."

"... 'Passion'?" Caterina shook her head. "You know what, I don't care and I am _not_ going to ask. Just don't destroy anything on your way, or you'll be paying for it. Escort her to her room, Father Hugue."

"Why must she stay in _that_ room?"

"That's where she's always stayed when she's not on assignment. You've just never been here when she is, which is why you've never met her." She pointed at the door. "Now, go. Just get her to her room. Don't care what time it is when you do, don't wanna _know_ how, just do it."

And with that, Caterina returned to looking over the papers Alessandro had given her, blocking out both the priest and the vampire.

**French Translations! :D**

**non = no**

**Père = Father**

**Thanks for reading/reviewing! I love jyoo all! ^^**


	3. Some Say Love, It Is a Razor

Hugue sighed. Caterina wasn't going to be paying any attention if they complained now. To be fair, though, he only filed one complaint. The vampire, Twilight, had stated about three.

"She's not going to be talking to us," Twilight said dejectedly. She held out her arm to him, giving a smile. He could see her fangs. "Let's go, Prince Charming."

He didn't touch her arm. He did, however, open the door for her to go before him. "Ladies first, Twilight." As much of a blood-sucker as she was, she was an AX agent and a woman. He was an AX agent and a gentleman. A gentleman always held the door for a lady and let her precede him.

She stepped through the door, but didn't move after that. When he walked out, he saw that it was because she was tying up her hair in a ponytail. "Thank you, Father Hugue. I appreciate that. I'm really very tired from my, heh-heh, _flight_."

And now, she joked about the fact that she was a vampire. Hadn't Abel already tried to make that particular joke? Nobody had laughed at _him_, and that should have told her something. It should have keyed her in that the joke wasn't funny. But, to be fair to her, he had been having a glaring contest with her at the time Abel tried to lessen the tension. "I see. How fast do you think you were flying?"

"What do you care?"

"Just trying to make conversation. It's an uncomfortable silence between us."

"Ohhhhh, I was probably going about seventy-five miles per hour."

Should he try to make a joke, as well? Perhaps the vampire enjoyed... _dry_ humor. "I assume you realize that's over the Parisian speed limit."

Twilight giggled, then slapped him on the back. "You're funny, Father Hugue! I can see why Father Abel hangs around you all the time! You two are both so silly!" She twisted the ends of her ponytail. "No, I wasn't over the speed limit, dear. That's only for the _ground_."

"Hmmph." Hugue took the brief respite of silence to examine Twilight's appearance. Her skin was pale, as was normal for a Methuselah, but not overly pale; she could easily pass as a human, if she ever needed to. Her eyes were a deep red color; crimson, almost. Like the blood she drank. Her hair was jet black, and not quite glossy. It more resembled the look of a sketch drawn and shaded with charcoal than anything else, though the look was indeed beautiful. It hung to her waist when it was top-knotted, as she had it now, and most likely fell past her hips when it was let loose from the gold ribbon. Vampire females were renowned for their charming, often seductive looks, and this one was a prime example of that. Was she tempting? Hell, yes. Was he going to let it get to him? You'd have a better chance of a _snowball_ in hell than him going all schoolboy over her looks.

He blinked when he realized she'd been talking to him this whole time, and he hadn't been listening. "Hellooooo? Are you _listening_, Father Hugue?"

He shook his head to clear his mind. "Uh, sorry... afraid I didn't catch any of that."

She rolled her eyes. "I _said_, Sir Space-Out, that I hope Madame Cardinal tells Father Abel to bring my food to my room. He's hopeless, otherwise. The poor fool."

"Ah." He brushed the bangs out of his eyes so he could see. "So... what was that thing about me having 'white-hot passion' for you, again?"

"Oh, yes." She smiled. "It's actually quite obvious, really. You hate vampires, so you hate me. However, when you first saw me, you barely contained the shock of how alluring a Methuselah can be. Therefore, you struggle between your disgust for the Methuselah, and your unbelievable, immeasurable ardor for me." She finished this with a triumphant look, head held high up. As if she had just finished the greatest analyzation speech in the history of history.

He chuckled. "You _really_ believe that, 'dear'?"

She let out a deep breath he didn't even realize she was holding, shoulders slumping down as her arms dangled forward. "Well, it'd sure explain your acrimonious disposition towards me." She straightened up, putting a hand behind her neck rather nervously. "Ha-ha, I read you between the lines, don't I, Father Hugue?"

Walking ahead, he played absently with a lock of his hair. "Like a book, Twilight?"

"Yes! Exactly! Like a book."

"I do believe we're at your room, Twilight."

"Huh." She glanced up, and saw the mistletoe hanging on the door, then smiled. "Oh, yeah! This _is_ my room. Hurrah, I can take a shower!" She leaned over, lips parted slightly.

With the assumption that she was going to bite him, he drew back, leaving his neck out of her reach. "Touch your fangs to my skin, and I'll have your head, vampire!"

"Wha-?" She pulled away, as well, and she looked confused. "_Bite_ you? I would never! Forgive me for using the Lord's name in vain, but for God's sake, Father Hugue, I'm _insulted_. I wasn't going to bite you. I had no intention of doing so since I met you. I was going to do this." She leaned over again, and gently pressed her lips to his cheek, leaving behind a cold, wet spot. She giggled, opening the door to her room. "I'll see you later, Father Hugue. Have a good night." And she disappeared into her chamber.

This left him standing there, mouth agape, with what he assumed to be a stupid look on his face. First of all, the chance that anyone would try to kiss him, cheek or otherwise, was less than fifteen percent, obviously - the remaining eighty-five percent was made up of twenty-five percent due to the fact that he was a priest, and sixty percent due to the fact that he was... well, to be honest with himself, undesirable. And second, a vampire being almost... kind? _She must be plotting something. Get her before she gets you! Yes, marvelous plan, Hugue. I'm proud of you - err, of myself, I suppose that would be._

He turned and swept into his room, almost getting his hair caught in the door... again.

He walked inside and sat down on his bed. He walked over to the mirror, and looked at his reflection. Long, blonde hair… green eyes… a red lipstick print on his right cheek. Annoyed, he rubbed the lipstick off. Disgusting. The mark of a vampire, it was. He sighed and lie down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. It was so odd.

Maybe she was right. Maybe he was struggling between his hatred and his passion. She was a vampire, indeed - she practically gloated about it, like he should be jealous or something - but she didn't _act_ like one. She didn't jump on the first thing that looked like human flesh and start sucking it. She didn't make lewd comments about anybody; even with the Pope, she only said he was a bit awkward. It was clear she was a bit attracted to him (and he to her), but she said nothing about that fact. In fact, their attraction could be compared to that of two high-school teenagers; she probably knew it wouldn't last.

He buried his face in the pillow. Confused. That's what he was. It was all so… puzzling. A burning feeling in his chest, a bubbling sensation in his stomach… The only adjective to describe it was _weird_. He'd never felt anything like it before.

Closing his eyes, he wondered… was Twilight feeling the same way right now?


	4. That Leaves Your Soul to Bleed

Twilight giggled like an eleven-year-old when she went into her room, grinning like mad. She had kissed a priest! Albeit on the cheek, but still, it was a kiss. And he just stood there looking stupid. What fun! She truly was a rather torturous individual for that.

She removed her cloak and shirt (leaving her in only her jeans and black bra), sat on the bed, and began to braid her hair. She still thought about Hugue. Even though he obviously hated vampires, there were a number of traits she found attractive about him. First off, he was physically good-looking. Second, he was… bold. He wasn't afraid to state was he was thinking or feeling. He was such a badass, too. He probably _could_ kick her can, if he wanted to. She just hoped he never wanted to. She didn't want to have to use her powers on him. That would be called unfair advantage, and she didn't want to hurt him.

Mostly, she didn't want to prove him right. If he thought all vampires were bad and evil… why should she reinforce that? If she ever hurt him, she'd just be proving what he already believed. Him believing it was bad enough… but if he never met _one_ good vampire, he would just keep on believing it. She was just going to have to prove him wrong.

Now… how, exactly, would she go about doing that?...

All of a sudden, she heard her window break. She barely had time to look over before she was pinned down onto the bed. She screamed, but then realized it was no use. The only person who would hear her was Hugue, and saving vampires wasn't exactly his thing. So she bit her lip to keep herself from screaming again.

She recognized the long black hair and the onyx eyes. She struggled, chest heaving with labored breath. "Isaak Fernand van Kampfer! You let me go this instant! Oh, God, you smell like smoke! Get the hell off of me!"

Isaak's grip on her wrists loosened, and he leaned back a bit, but he still didn't get off. "Miss Murder," he smirked, sly as a fox. As usual. "Dear, mind telling me why I find you _here_, of all places?"

She squirmed to get out. "Mind telling me _why you fricking followed me, you bastard king of bastards_?"

He breathed on her.

She gagged. "Fuck! Isaak, you _really_ need to quit smoking! Everything on you stinks! If I hadn't had my guard down, I could have smelled you and your cigars in the next district! Ah, get off!"

"Ah-ah." Isaak placed one of her hands under her, and put his hand on her neck. He was feeling along for it - as if looking for her jugular. "Now, where exactly is that spot on the neck… that makes a person tell the truth…" He pressed down. "No, that isn't it… how about this?" He applied pressure to another spot.

Twilight couldn't help but scream. That caused searing pain, as if she were being stabbed in the neck. "I-Isaak! Stop! Please, that hurts!"

"Ah, so you _are_ telling the truth. The Miss Murder I know would never admit pain so easily. Now, I'm going to need you to answer a few questions for me." He sat back a little. "Do you work for the AX?"

She tried to hold back. She couldn't tell him what her career really was; they all thought she worked as a nurse in a hospital, and that she stole from the blood banks. But she couldn't help it. "Yes."

"I see." He tossed his head, flipping his tons of glossy hair. God, if he wasn't holding her down against her will right now, she would think he was so sexy and this was so kinky. Bondage was kinky, right? Well, she assumed. If he wasn't forcing her to tell him the truth about everything, this would be so hot. "Are you a nun?"

"No."

"Are you just pretending to be friends with our group of Methuselah?"

She ground her teeth against each other, probably wearing away the enamel on her fangs. She wanted him to let go of her. Kinky or not, he was her enemy while she was in the AX building. If he didn't go away, she'd be forced to pull out the gun she kept on her thigh and use it against him… no matter how much she didn't want to. "Y… Yes."

"So, then… were you pretending to be friends with _me_, as well?"

Whatever nerve or vein or artery he was pressing on, it was working like a damn charm. She was physically incapable of letting so much as a little white lie slip out. She really did like him; he was her friend. "No. You and I are really friends, Isaak."

"Twilight." There was knocking on the door, and she recognized Hugue's voice. "Twilight, is there someone in there with you?"

"O-One minute," she called, struggling to get Isaak off of her. She was truly scared for Hugue. If he didn't leave, Isaak was going to kill him.

"Who is that?"

"One of the Fathers," she managed to choke out.

"Just one more question." Isaak had lowered his voice. He pressed harder on the point, bringing his face down to hers. He brushed his tongue against her cheek and kissed her shoulder. "Do you think I'm a sexy vampire?"

She groaned. "Y… Yes… I do, Isaak."

More pounding came from the door. "Twilight! I am giving you thirty seconds to open this door, or I am getting Father Tres, and he will _blast_ it down with his damn guns akimbo! And I need not tell you Ms. Sforza will ask whose fault it is, and I will say yours, and she _will_ be mad!"

"Alright!" She wiggled, moaning. He was hurting her. "I-Isaak, g… go. Please. You're hurting me. Let me go. Leave this place and never come back."

Isaak let up on the pressure point. She gasped loudly, putting a hand to her forehead. She felt as if she were going to faint. "Good-bye, _my_ sexy vampire." As quick as he had come, he was gone - right back out the window.

Twilight hurriedly hopped off the bed, somersaulting through the air to the door. She opened it, and there stood Hugue. He looked... heh... quite pissed off, too. "Twilight."

Gulp. "Father Hugue."

Was she _in_ for it, Little Missy.

Which was what Abel had told her when she was little. It always meant trouble, so she had taken to saying it to herself at those "oh, shit" moments that most of her life seemed to be made of.

And this was _definitely_ an "oh, shit" moment.


	5. Some Say Love, It Is a Hunger

Hugue had tried to ignore it. The huge crash that came across the hall, from Twilight's room. He successfully restrained any urge to go over there and shut her up after her first scream. The pained moans and whispers, though - whether sexually aroused or not, he couldn't block those out. He sat up, glaring at nothing in particular. He was mad at the world right now. But mostly, Twilight. He _had_ been trying to sleep, but she couldn't leave him alone for two minutes, could she?

And then, there came another scream. "I-Isaak!" it seemed she was screeching, as if somebody were hurting her. "Stop!"

So he stomped over to her room. Pounding on the door, he shouted, so that she could hear him over whatever damn thing she was _doing_ to make that much noise. "Twilight! Twilight, is there someone in there with you?" He figured he'd be gentle at first; she may just need a minute to get up and answer the door, and if he yelled all-out the first time, she'd be furious at him. Not that he cared all that much, but he really didn't feel like trying to fight a vampire today.

"O-one minute," he heard her reply, sounding as if she were struggling with something.

He waited. Just stood there, staring at the door. Holding back the urge to break it down and tell her to keep her fanged mouth shut with the moaning and shrieking.

He heard her muttering. "The Fathers…"

"One more… think… sexy vampire?" That was someone else's voice: a man's. Deep and sultry, as if he were… making love to her.

"Yes… I do…"

It felt as if he were only getting parts of the entire conversation, and the whole thing was disgusting and erotic.

He couldn't take it anymore. He pounded his fist against the door. Whatever was going on in there, if she had her psycho boyfriend in there or something, it was _going_ to stop, one way or another, if he had to rip their vocal cords out himself. "Twilight! I am giving you thirty seconds to open this door, or I am getting Father Tres, and he will _blast_ it down with his damn guns akimbo! And I need not tell you Ms. Sforza will ask whose fault it is, and I will say yours, and she _will_ be mad!"

"Alright!" she cried, sounding desperate. "Isaak… go… hurting me… leave… place… come back…"

Then came the male voice again. "Sexy vampire…"

He heard someone getting off the bed. The door opened, and there stood Twilight, half dressed. She was clothed in her jeans, which were slung low on her hips (how disgusting, he could _almost_ see her underwear), and she was trying to push the left strap of her black bra up on her shoulder. Her dark hair was loosely braided at the top, but unfinished, the tips flowing free down her shoulder and against her breastbone. Her crimson eyes were wide, and her cheeks pink with embarrassment, giving her the appearance of a China doll.

As a man, Hugue had temptations. Even though celibacy vows weren't required, and he hadn't taken them, he still thought of himself as a traditional priest; unable to marry or have relations with a woman. Still, some temptations were strong. So, he simply slapped himself in the face with the fact that she was a vampire and, besides that, he'd never had a girlfriend in his _life_. Once he had recovered from her half-nakedness, he gave her a very solid piece of advice:

"Go wear something."

And slammed the door.

Ouch.

It wasn't even two minutes later that she was knocking on _his_ door. He flung it open, trying to maintain a relatively formidable pose. "Yes?"

She was still blushing. "Wh… What did you want, Father Hugue?"

"You were making too much noise. I was coming to tell you to shut up." He could have left it at that and slammed the door in her face again, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Who was in there with you? Trespassers are not welcome on AX property. If you were harboring someone…"

"N-No! I was… watching a movie. A…" The blush took a turn for the worse, flooding her entire face scarlet, and she swallowed loudly. "An erotica."

He raised an eyebrow. Why was it that he didn't believe her? Oh, right; because all vampires were liars. "And you couldn't get up long enough to answer the door?"

"I couldn't find the remote. I wanted to mute it, so I was… looking."

"And you… happened to have your clothes half off?"

"Well, I, uh… was in the middle of changing to take a shower when I noticed the movie was on."

"Ah. Well, then, have a good evening, Twilight."

She raised a hand meekly. "Night, Father."

She turned to leave, and he shut the door. Lying down on his bed again, he exhaled deeply. He should have sense enough not to go chasing after a mystery, and that was exactly what this woman was. A mystery, an enigma, a puzzle. She cried out to be solved, only to lure him in. That was what vampires did. They were so attractive, merely as a trap for unsuspecting victims to have their bodies sucked dry of blood.

Reviled creatures, they were.

And yet, this one… there was something about this one. Something peculiar, and something intriguing. Something that made him want to spend more time with her, but…

He knew what messing around with vampires did. It always ended in death.

He hoped he could stay away from her as much as possible.


	6. An Endless Aching Need

At last, the next morning arrived. Twilight had lie awake all night, staring at the ceiling, the television a willing soundtrack to her thoughts. She had contemplated her feelings so far for Hugue. They'd barely known each other a day! And yet… something was squeezing her chest, as if it were caught between two halves of a steel vise. It was like she couldn't breathe, and her stomach was in knots, but for some insane reason, she didn't want it to stop.

She had considered going back to Hugue's room, to watch him sleep. She had never seen a man sleep before. It truly would have been a most enlightening experience. To watch his chest rise and fall with the delicate rhythm of his steady, even breaths… his eyes closed, lashes thick but masculine… lips only parted slightly, revealing just a glimpse of his perfect white teeth…

She wondered if he slept with his shirt off. Dear Lord, if she ever decided to watch him sleep, she hoped so. She wasn't a highly sexually oriented individual, even for a vampire, but there was just something about shirtless men that got her going.

_Why did he have to be a priest, huh? Why couldn't he have been, like, the pool boy or something? Then I could ogle him all I want and not be judged… by Father Abel __**or**__ Madame Duchess._

She stretched, looking in the mirror. Contrary to popular belief, vampires _did_ show up in mirrors - just very faintly. Doing her hair couldn't be _total_ guesswork, could it? Speaking of which… she began to brush her hair, humming softly. "La-da-da-da… la-da-da… la-da-da-da-da-da-da…"

She finished her hair, tying it up in a low ponytail with her "signature" gold ribbon. She put on a black dress with silver ring designs, different from her normal deep green gown. She stuck some ruby earrings in, then she was off.

She went happily to the mission breakfast room. It really was good to be back. She'd been with Isaak, Casan, Bartolomeo, and the other vampires - being the only female in the group - for almost two months; while she did enjoy at least Isaak's company, she preferred that of the priests more. She loved Abel to death; he'd practically raised her. She still had yet to see Tres ("Oh, Tin Man, you _do_ have a heart!"), Leon ("My pretty Dandy-Leon boy!"), Petros ("So, Brother, are you, uh… ripped?" -wide eyes- "Oh, my, _yes_!"), and Esther ("My best girl!"), among others like Kate, Vaclav, and Paula. She really had missed Tres and Petros especially, but she missed Abel the most.

She skipped into the room. "Good morning, everyone. Father Abel!" She wrapped her arms around her favorite. "How was your night?"

Abel smiled up at her. "Fine - oh, my." He chuckled, waving her away, as if he were afraid. "Dear, your dress is making me dizzy! Oh, my poor stomach…"

"Sorry," Twilight giggled, sitting down beside Hugue. "How are you this morning, Father Hugue?"

"Fine."

"Monosyllabic answers," she sang out, before taking a small sip of her orange juice. "And what about you, Father Tres?"

Tres was busy swallowing his vitamins. "Status is fine, Miss Raye."

"Awesome. Anyone know where Sister Esther, Brother Petros, and Father Leon are?"

"Don't look at _me_," Abel said, rather defensively. "I haven't seen them come out of their rooms today."

"Calm down, Father Abel," she sighed. "I wasn't accusing any_one_ of any_thing_."

Caterina walked in, accompanied by both Brother Petros and her own brother, Francesco di Medici. "Good morning, everyone. Abel. Twilight. Hugue."

"Good morning, Madame Cardinal," Twilight greeted cheerily. "Brother Petros! Monsignor di Medici! I've missed you both. How are you boys?"

Francesco simply rolled his eyes. "Nothing exciting to speak of, Signorita Raye."

Twilight mimicked this by using her hand as a puppet. "… Blah-blah-blah-blah, Signorita Raye."

Abel smothered a laughing fit, and Caterina cracked a smile.

"And how are you, Brother Petros?" Twilight addressed the other man.

The blue-haired priest nodded in a mellow manner. "I'm quite well. I trust your mission was enjoyable?"

"Mmm-hmm, _very_."

That seemed to alarm him. "You didn't allow one of those evil blood-drainers to ravage your delicate body, did you?"

"… I'll translate that answer into the King's English. No, Brother Petros, I still have yet to be laid by one of my own species, or any other species, for that matter."

"What about necking? Did you get necked?"

"Nope."

"Erm… have an orgasm?"

"Uh-uh."

"French kissed?"

"No siree, Bob."

"Um… well, er…"

"For God's sake, man, my body still belongs to the Lord! … and you, baby Brother."

"Urgh…" Petros crossed his arms. "I do _not_ want your body, Daybreak. I am simply concerned for your safety and well-being."

She nodded. "Okay, Brother Petros."

"Regardless of who wants whose body-" Here, Caterina eyed Abel suspiciously, knowing he was probably thinking about Esther- "I've got a mission for the three of you."

Abel grinned - complete with "luminescent fanboy blush" for Twilight - Twilight slumped in her chair, sighing, but with a slight smile, and Hugue groaned.

"Heh." Caterina lightly punched Francesco in the arm. "Pay up. I called their reactions perfectly, didn't I?"

"Unfortunately," Francesco grumbled. "I'll pay you later."

Twilight raised her hand. "What and where _is_ this mission, Madame Cardinal? And how will we be getting there?"

"Well, there have been some reports of strange activities in a Romanian church." She glanced at her brother. "We have a strong feeling it may be werewolves. We need you to go check it out for us." She glared at Twilight and Hugue. "As a team. If I get wind of infighting - Abel, be my eyes and ears and possibly my sense of touch if these two battle it out - you will be placed under house arrest. That means here, in your rooms, without media devices, for two weeks - and even _that's_ being kind." She shifted. "And you'll be traveling by boat to Greece, then taking a train to Romania. I will send you the map to find the church by cell phone. You and _only_ you, Twilight, because I don't trust these other two knuckleheads."

Abel made a face, putting a hand over his stomach. "I feel queasy already." He pushed his near-empty breakfast plate away. "I don't think I'll be eating before we get on. Or, at least… I won't be eating any _more_."

Twilight, meanwhile, was digging into her oatmeal. She bumped Hugue's shoulder with her own. "Come on, Father! Let's hurry and finish, so we can go on the mission!"

Slowly, Hugue began to eat.

Caterina, as well as Francesco and Petros, turned to leave. "Come see me together when you are ready. And I'd suggest you hurry - the ship leaves at nine forty-five. You will arrive in Thermopylae at one-oh-five; the train leaves at one-thirty, and you will arrive in Romania at four fifty, at which time you will either walk or take a bus to the church. Or, one of the vampires can carry you during flight, Hugue." And she left, along with the others.

"Get a _move_ on," Twilight scolded to Hugue again. "You're slower than a snail caught in molasses. It's already eight-thirty, and we don't know how far away the port is. Hustle, hustle, priesty boy!"

"Miss Twilight," Abel whined, placing his head on the table. "Please remember to bring my medicine!"

She stood up. "You know what, actually, Father Abel? I should give you a dose before we go - preemptive strike, you know. Be right back."


	7. I Say Love, It Is a Flower

Hugue watched as the vampire, Twilight, left the room to go get Abel's medicine. As he continued to eat, he looked over at Abel, who looked as if he were sulking. Honestly, he'd looked like that ever since he heard the word "boat". "And why," he started, still chewing on his eggs, "would you need medicine, Father Nightroad? Are you prone to motion sickness?"

"Ugh." Abel propped his head up. "It's the most peculiar thing, Father Hugue. I'm fine riding in the air, and in cars, trains, buses, but as soon as I get on a boat - ohhh, there goes my breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. I get so horribly seasick, so unless the Dramamine kicks in, I'd advise you to stay away. What about you? Any motion sickness ever afflict you?"

"Well, I couldn't tell you. I've never been on a ship. I'm not sick in cars, trains, or airships, though, so I assume I won't get seasick."

"Ohhh, _never_ assume that kind of thing, Father Hugue. I did - first time I got on the boat, I was on the deck the entire time, emptying the contents of my stomach into the briny blue. I swore to God I'd be fine - I _wasn't_."

Twilight flitted back into the room, carrying a bottle, a teaspoon, and a dropper. "So, Father Abel," she commented, twisting the cap off the bottle, "which way am I administering it this time? Willingly…" She held up the spoon, shifting her weight as she put her other hand on her hip. "… Or forcibly?" She held up the dropper.

Abel got a look of fright on his face. "Oh, Miss Twilight, the dropper won't be necessary! I, er…" He glanced over at Hugue, and mumbled, "I'll swallow my nasty-tasting medicine like a big boy."

Hugue appeared not to change on the outside, but in his mind, he was rolling on the floor, gasping for breath in a fit of laughter. For a vampire, she held impressive power over Abel, to make him say something like _that_.

"Well, okay, then," Twilight said. "You need to take… uh… four teaspoons of this, Father Abel. _Open_, or I'll pry your mouth open myself."

Abel made no argument.

As Twilight gave him the medicine, Hugue stood up. "I'm finished. I'll take my plate to the kitchen, then I'll be back."

"We'll be here," Twilight answered in a singsong manner, slipping another spoonful of medicine into Abel's mouth as he made a face.

* * *

As they stood in front of the boat, the _S.S. Maid Marina_, Hugue looked over at Twilight. She was playing around with her cell phone. "Are you _texting_ someone?" he asked.

"Yes. Madame Cardinal - letting her know we're about ready to leave."

"May we board the vessel?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

Abel was the last one aboard, with Twilight before him and Hugue before her. "Oh, boy," he groaned, as the ship started to move. "Here it comes."

Hugue took a seat on the deck, pulling out a small novel he had brought to read during the trip. One might not know it - in fact, he made _sure_ none of the AX members knew it - but he liked to read romance novels. He had a soft spot for that kind of thing. He was currently on the third book in a five-part series called _Ciao, Principesa_. The third book, called _Sparked Affections Again_, told of the two main characters (Joshua and Martha) reuniting after having been separated for almost five years.

It wasn't ten minutes later that his reading was interrupted by the sounds of a certain white-haired priest getting sick over the side of the ship. He looked up from the scene of Martha meeting Joshua in that Spartan jail. Yep, there was Abel, vomiting into the ocean. And Twilight was by his side, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his back, rubbing gingerly in small circles.

Despite everything, Hugue, feeling a slight flutter in just a part of his own stomach, couldn't help but go over. "I assume the medicine's not kicked in yet?"

"Unfortunately not," Twilight sighed, patting Abel's back again. "It's alright, Father Abel. Just hold on. It won't be very long before we arrive in Greece."

"Ugh." Abel meekly raised his head. "How _much_ longer, Miss Twilight?"

She sighed again. "Three hours, twenty minutes, Father Abel."

He groaned, then leaned over the railing to throw up again.

"Ohhh…" Twilight looked back at the other. "Father Hugue? Would you please go get me a cool, damp washcloth?"

"Of course." Hugue, now feeling just a bit dizzy, shook his head and started down the stairs. Twilight's cabin was closest, so he went in and was about to go into her bathroom to get a cloth when her phone rang. She had left it out on the bed, having not taken it with her after she'd packed her things and gone above deck with them.

He knew it was wrong. He knew he should just leave the vampire's phone be; let her voicemail service record the message. But he sat down on the bed, picking up the phone. He didn't answer it. He stared at the screen. It gave another number - but not a cell phone. Whoever was contacting her was calling from a landline.

His eyes narrowed. The area code indicated that this was a number from Spain. Who would she know there? If his memory served, she had recently gotten back from Paris. Paris was in France. Spain was at least a thousand miles away, if not more.

He heard the person record on voicemail.

"Miss Murder, dear? It's Isaak. Ah, my sexy vampire, you're not there. Pity! I need to speak with you. Call me as soon as you can, love. I'm walking out the door just as soon as I leave this message. Call me, and leave a message. I do believe you know how to use the redial feature? Talk to you later. Love you."

Hugue's eyes widened. It was the same voice he had heard in her room last night. Male, deep, seductive. Isaak. And here he was calling her all these things like "sexy vampire" and "Miss Murder". This could mean trouble.

Looking out the door, he made sure no one was there. He closed the door and turned the lock. He picked up her phone again and pressed the redial button. Holding it up to his ear, he waited for this man's answering service.

"Hello. You've reached Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer. I am the Panzer Magier in the Rosenkruez Orden - court rank, Magus. If you called this number by mistake, I ask you to hang up now, because I probably don't want to talk to you. If this is correct, please leave your message after the tone. Thank you for calling me, and I'll get back to you just as soon as I can." _Beeeeep_.

Hugue shut the phone before recording anything. His hands shook in anger and shock. She claimed she was innocent. But if she was working for AX, why would she be associated with the Rosenkreuz Orden? Who was Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer? What was Panzer Magier?

Just who the hell _was_ this woman?

His eyes narrowed. She was going _down_.

He walked back up to the deck, and saw Twilight trying to comfort Abel again. She looked back at him. "Father Hugue! Did you get the…?" She blinked. "The hell? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Worse," he retorted, sitting back down. "I've seen a vampire."

She rolled her eyes. "Ha-_ha_. Pick on the blood-sucker. Like I've not had enough of _that_ pun my whole life. And I thought you were original! Where's the washcloth?"

"I… couldn't find them."

"So that's what took you." She left Abel. "Let me see, I think I have a handkerchief in my purse…"

As she went back over to Abel, Hugue felt more rage boil in his blood. She could find her own way to Greece. She could swim. He wouldn't kill her, but he didn't want to spend another minute in the same space as her.

Rushing forward, he shoved her, and, surprised, she screamed as she fell over the railing and into the sea.

**... BUM BUM BUMMMMMMMM. ^^**


	8. And You, Its Only Seed

It all happened too fast for Twilight to realize what had actually happened. But something ran into her, and she was pitched over the side of the boat.

She screamed bloody murder, and closed her mouth as she hit the water. She broke the surface, and tried desperately to keep her head above. If she went down, she was finished. Even vampires had some amount of mortality, and in the nearly two hundred years she'd been alive, she had never felt it that important to learn how to swim. So, she hadn't. She had never learned how to swim, and she didn't know how.

So she floundered there, sputtering and spitting out seawater. "Help!" she yelled to the two priests on the boat. "Please, help me!"

Hugue had a mildly surprised look on his face, while Abel wore an expression that was somewhere between horror and fighting the urge to be sick to his stomach again. "Twilight!" he called. "Signor Guido!" he called to the ship's captain inside. "Stop the ship! We have a young lady overboard!"

But obviously, Guido couldn't hear him. The boat kept going.

"Please help me!" Twilight shrieked, struggling to keep herself up. "I can't swim!"

"Argh!" Realizing they weren't stopping, Abel ran over and grabbed the life preserver. "Twilight! Grab on!" He threw it into the water.

She tried, but she couldn't reach it. It, as well as the ship and her companions, were getting ever farther away from her. She was going to die here, in the middle of the ocean, freezing, alone, and abandoned. The way she'd been when she was little. "I can't reach! I can't do it, Abel!" She felt herself begin to sink, but fought to keep her head up. She could see the life preserver floating in the water, but it was too far away for her to get to it, and she couldn't swim to it. She went down under the water again, and spat out a mouthful of salty water, flailing her arms. "Help!"

She could just barely hear them, using her admittedly weak sonar capabilities. Were they going to save her?

"Hugue, you're her only hope!" Abel was saying. "You have to go out there and get her! You can swim, right? Oh, please say you can, because I can't! And if you can't, we're going to lose her!"

"… I can swim, but… I'm not sure if I can get her…"

Twilight felt a slight anger boil inside her. He was considering not saving her because she was a vampire. She really wanted to pop him one right now, if her hands weren't so busy making sure she didn't inhale any saltwater.

"Hugue, you _have_ to! She _cannot_ swim! She could die! If you don't swim out there and get her, she's going to drown! I can't let that happen! If I could swim, I would do it myself, but I can't! All you have to do is swim out, grab her, and take the preserver! I'll pull you in once you've got hold of the preserver, and while you're swimming toward it, I'll get Guido to stop the ship. _Please_, Hugue, I can't lose her! You don't know how much she means to me! As much as your sister means to you, that's how important she is to me!"

She had to stop using her sonar after that, because it was wearing her out too quickly. She could feel her body shutting down, her eyes fluttering closed. She almost swallowed a mouthful of the spray, but managed to cough it back out.

Just as she felt like she was going to pass out, someone's body was placed under her arm. She jerked her head up and saw wavy blonde hair, tied up in a ponytail. It was Hugue. Bare-chested, wearing only his pants, with his hair actually _up_ instead of in a low knot.

Before realizing that he had just saved her, her girlish mind registered that this was the sexiest she had seen him so far, especially with the water glistening on his pale skin.

Damn, damn, _damn_ this priest to the farthest reaches of hell for being so sexy.

She coughed once more, allowing her head to fall against the side of his to rest, her hair against his. "H-Hugue," she gasped, trying to regain the ability to breathe normally. "Why… is your shirt off?"

"I was wearing my priest robes," he explained, swimming toward the candy-cane donut that was their lifeline. "I wouldn't have gotten to you in time if I kept them on."

She feebly pounded on his bare chest, panting. "Don't you _ever_ do something that stupid again," she scolded, eyes half-closed.

He looked down at her. "What are you talking about? You're delusional. You've swallowed the water."

"No," she told him. "This water is liquefied _ice_. You're going to catch your death of cold, and then, I'll feel guilty!"

He grunted, reaching for the preserver only to realize it was barely out of his reach. "Damn it… even though you're a vampire, your life is worth more - at least to Father Nightroad - than me catching a little cold."

At last, they'd reached the life preserver. Hugue threw his arms through it, and Twilight hopped onto his back, latching her hands together at the front of his chest. She felt herself blush, and wondered if Hugue was blushing, too. She laid her head on his back, and breathed heavily. "H-Hugue?"

They were getting closer and closer to the ship. "Yes?"

She coughed, then whispered to him, "Thank you."

He scoffed. "Oh. That's all? Well, I would say you're welcome… but why would you even bother to thank me?"

"You saved my life."

"You could have flown out."

She went deadpan. "I actually hadn't thought of that one. So, technically, you have scored some major brownie points, my friend. I really owe you for this. I mean, I probably shouldn't leave you alone until I'm the one that saves _your_ life."

He let out a short, sharp laugh. "Heh. Just watch my back with the werewolves, and we'll call it even."

"Oh, of course! I'd be happy to, Father Hugue!"

"Back to calling me 'Father' now, I see?"

"Erm… would you prefer I didn't?"

"Personally, I don't care."

"Are we almost there? Father Abel's probably worried sick by now."

"Yes… Father Nightroad! Hoist us up, _now_!"

She heard the clumsy but beloved priest call down to them, "Heave ho!" and he pulled them in.


	9. It's the Heart Afraid of Breaking

"Huh… _Hu'tschu_!" Hugue's head pitched forward as he sneezed, softly but forcefully.

"Bless," Twilight chimed, smiling.

Sniffling, he pulled the blanket tighter around himself. That water had been like diving into an ice box. "That water was freezing!"

Twilight, who was also wrapped in a blanket, nodded in agreement. "It _was_! And now, you've probably caught a cold. Listen, if anything like that ever happens again, I'm warning you not to go after me. I'll just try to remember - 'fly out the water, dumb-ass!'" She giggled, then shivered herself.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Abel commented, drying off her hair. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you."

"Mmm." Twilight snuggled against his stomach, nuzzling her cheek into his robes. "I loves you, too."

Abel smiled, patting her head. "Love you."

She handed Abel her gold ribbon, to tie up her hair. "How's your stomach, Father Abel?"

"Ah. I do believe it got better after I saw you topple to your doom," he answered, working the ribbon quickly through her charcoal locks, as if he'd had a lot of practice doing her hair.

Twilight stood up, looking around. She carefully placed her blanket around Hugue's shoulders. "I'm headed to my room. You guys can come see me if you want - though, why you'd want to, I dunno. Anyway, that's where I'll be, loves." She walked off.

Hugue stood up after, following. "I'll be in my room, as well."

He walked down below decks, the blankets loosely around him. He stopped at Twilight's door. Perhaps she would notice she had a message, and call Isaak von Kämpfer back.

Luck was sort of on his side. He heard her opening her phone. "Hello, this is Twilight Raye. May I ask who's-" She stopped, and a few seconds later, her voice changed. "Isaak, how the hell did you get this number?" She sounded gripped by fear. As if she were afraid of this Isaak von Kämpfer.

Hugue cursed mentally. He could only hear her half of the conversation. He didn't know what Isaak was saying.

Twilight growled. "That double-crossing bastard. And I bet you slipped something in his blood to make him tell you? Or you got him drunk? Yeah, I thought so… what do you want, anyway? I'm busy. No, I didn't call you. How do you know the call came from _my_ phone? I am not going… I'm not telling you where I am, you son of a bitch! I'm not stupid, you mother… what? Yes, I'll accept the charges. I didn't do it, but I'll accept the charges. I'm not paying a damn fine, though. Yeah? Well, tell your 'boss', whoever he is, to go off himself, 'cause I am _not_ frickin'comin'all the way to Madrid! I'm halfway to Greece and I - aw, damn it. Yeah? Well, you're not _that_ sexy!" She fell eerily silent. After a moment, she spoke again. "But… I don't even have a ring, Isaak."

Her voice was trembling, and just shy of inaudible. She sounded petrified, but calm at the same time.

"I won't do it, Isaak. Huh? Oh, yeah! I'd like to see you do it! You don't have the balls to come and drag me to Spain, you stalker! First, you follow me back to Rome, and now, you have my cell number, which you had to weasel out of Cas-! What? Yes, that qualifies you as a stalker! Get a life, Isaak! The Contra Mundi? The hell is that? Oh, your boss? You better not call me again, Isaak! No! I don't care if you have a ring for me or not, I'm hanging up! Have a fabulous frickin'day, you asshole!" An angry beep informed Hugue that she had just hung up on Isaak von Kämpfer.

All of a sudden, the door opened, and he had to jump back to avoid being hit in the face.

He was shocked by what Twilight looked like. Her hair - at least, her bangs - were messed up, and tears of red flowed from her eyes. She blinked, and pushed past him. "What do you want, Father Hugue?"

"Why are your tears red? Are you hurt?"

She sniffled, blinking again. "Full vampires cry blood. Me, though-" She pointed at her face. "This is synthetic blood. The blood we drink - or whatever it is that we drink for that nutrition requirement - replaces the saline in our tear ducts, after we've used what of it we need for our bodily functions." She thunked herself on the side of the head. "Why am I going on? You don't care about vampire biology." She searched her pockets for something, then looked back up at him. "Would you… happen to have a handkerchief that I could use, Father Hugue?"

He took one out of his pocket and handed it to her. "You can keep it."

"Grazie," she murmured, wiping her eyes. "Um, I… scusi. Je pense je… j'irai pour voir Père Abel. Arrividerci."

As she walked off, Hugue noticed two things. First off, she was talking in fragmented Italian and French, alternating between the two languages, as if she only knew a few words in Italian and spoke French exceptionally well. And second, he remembered that Petros had called her Daybreak. The time twilight was different from the time daybreak. So, why would he call her that if it wasn't her name and didn't refer to her name? "Prego," he called to her. "And you do know that I don't speak French, right? So, I have no idea where you're going."

She looked back. "Oh… sorry. I'm going to see Father Abel. Good-bye."

"Wait. Why did Brother Petros call you 'Daybreak'?"

"That's my middle name. Brother Petros likes it better than my first name."

"And who were you talking to just now?"

That stopped her dead in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around and looked at him. There was murderous intent in her red eyes. "You God-be-damned eavesdropper!" She flew at him, pounding his still-bare chest and screeching incoherent phrases. "You bastard!" She had begun to cry again, tugging on his long hair. "I hate you! You son of a bitch, you're an ass!"

Hugue just stood there, letting her do it. For one thing, he was surprised. She hadn't yet lashed out at him until now - incredible restraint, he had called it. For another, a vampire being in a state of almost… despair? It was unheard of, at least to his ears. She was full-out weeping, sobbing and gasping for breath, sanguinary tears pouring at an amazing rate; he hadn't known that such a thick liquid could run so fast.

Then again, it wasn't real blood she was crying.

As he just stood there and looked at her, he began to think; perhaps she wasn't all bad. She drank fake blood, which was quite obviously less appeasing and good-tasting than real blood. Why on Earth would a vampire make that decision?

Maybe she was telling the truth about being good.

But then, there was Isaak von Kämpfer. As much as he wanted to trust her, no vampire could be trusted until they proved themselves. She hadn't proved herself. If anything, she was doing the opposite. She was hiding things, keeping secrets, having clandestine relations with the Rosenkruez. Until she had explained herself, he still couldn't trust her.

At last, she simply broke down, collapsing on the carpet. Clearly ashamed of herself and the spectacle she'd made, she covered her face with her hands, still moaning, gasps catching in her throat. She let her face fall forward, as she continued to cry.

Hugue finally just picked Twilight up, as she was still sobbing, obviously not able to get up on her own. He carried her into her room, deposited her on the bed, and turned to walk out.

But before he did, he heard Twilight mutter to him:

"His name is Isaak."


	10. That Never Learns to Dance

Twilight stayed in her room for the longest time. She didn't get to go see Abel, but she had resolved not to tell him about Isaak. At least, not yet; not after what Isaak was planning to do. He wasn't completely stalking her… just one instance of following her and tricking her cell number out of Casan. Until he actually came and tried to forcibly drag her to Madrid, telling anyone, especially Abel, was out of the question entirely. She knew how much of a big brother complex he had; he would go Crusnik and kill people if he found out about Isaak. Even though Hugue suspected something, he wouldn't tell Abel. He was smart; he'd keep his mouth shut. He knew what was good for him; she didn't want to have to restrain him. She hadn't meant to tell Hugue who had called her; it just sort of happened. He didn't know who the hell Isaak was; the name meant nothing to him. But, still, it wasn't like he was stupid. _He may not know __**what**__ it means,_ she thought, sitting up, _but he knows it means __**something**__._

She was still clutching the handkerchief that Hugue had given her, and she noticed that it was all bloody. But it didn't smell like the artificial blood; it smelled real. And besides that, she hadn't been holding it to her face but once. She searched for where she was bleeding from. She saw that it was coming from under her nails - claws. She'd been hitting Hugue and raking at the carpet so hard that she'd made her fingers bleed.

She started to cry anew. You had to be hurting someone pretty bad to hurt yourself doing it. She brought the crimson-stained cloth up to her face, pressing it against her eyes as she strained with her tears and a feeling of bloodlust. There was probably a little of Hugue's blood on it, as well. She had hurt him, and what was worse was that she'd _wanted_ to. When she'd found out he knew she was talking to Isaak - and that he'd been listening to her speak to him - she wanted to punch him in the face.

She didn't blame Hugue for hating her.

After a few minutes, she got up, running the handkerchief over her eyes again. She opened the door, and crept over to Hugue's room. She was glad to find the door unlocked, and tiptoed in. "Father Hugue?"

She saw that he was sleeping quite soundly. She walked over carefully, and looked at his slumbering face. It was the face of an angel. His lashes were considerably full, but not overly so. His long, golden hair, falling over his face, the string gone, allowing the locks to splay over the pillow and under him. And he still had his shirt off, his muscular chest rising and falling in medium rhythm as he breathed while he slept.

Twilight leaned down, and brushed noses with him. She softly kissed his cheek, more tears threatening. "I'm sorry, Hugue."

* * *

Twilight woke up about an hour later to someone knocking on her door. It was probably Abel, telling her they were in Greece so they could get off the damned boat. She stood up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and opened the door. "Father Abel, I - oh, dear God!"

It wasn't Abel; it was Hugue. He looked positively ill. His face was pale, and sweat dripped down his face, sticking his bangs to his forehead in places. He was half to his knees, pressing an arm to his stomach. He looked up. "Twilight?"

She could see that there were still bruises on his chest, but that wasn't where he was holding. "Father Hugue, what's the matter? You're obviously not alright…"

He slumped against the doorframe, coughing. "I just threw up. I'm an idiot. I assumed I wasn't affected by seasickness… oh." His eyes widened and he clapped a hand over his mouth "Can I use your bathroom?" he asked quickly, already headed in.

"Go," she answered, moving for him.

She followed him as he ran into the bathroom. He barely made it there to toss the seat up before he was sick again. Dropping to his knees, he draped his arm over one side of the toilet, resting his head on it, coughing and panting. He moaned, closing his eyes.

Twilight didn't think she could stand seeing him in pain, but she forced herself to stay in the room with him. No matter how much he insisted he could take care of himself, it was always comforting to have someone with you when you were sick. She wet a cloth and knelt down to him. "It's okay, Father Hugue," she whispered. "I'm here. You'll be alright." She ran it over his lips, cleaning him off. "There we go." She placed that cloth over the sink and wet a new one, with cold water this time. "Now, this isn't going to feel too good to your skin, but it should relax you a little bit." She carefully wiped his face off.

Hugue's body was shaking violently. "Please," he implored her, "stop, please. I'm cold, it's too cold…" He raised his hand, as if to smack her away, but he couldn't find the strength, so his arm just fell limply to his side.

Twilight bit her lip a little. "I'm sorry, Father Hugue. I have to. You're overheating. You aren't running a fever yet, but it could get to that point. I have to keep you cool."

His teeth chattered, and within another minute, he threw up again. He groaned, and Twilight saw tears forming in his eyes. "Can I please have some water?" he begged, sounding absolutely desperate. "My throat hurts…"

She made a noise somewhere between a whimper and a sigh, expressing her sympathy and concern for him. "I'm sorry, Father Hugue. I can't give you water."

"Why not?" he half-shouted, wheezing.

"It could trigger an encore - it might make you throw up again." She wiped his mouth before standing up to her full height. "That book said I should give you juice. Could you live with that instead of water?"

He nodded. "Ye-es," he replied, gagging. He retched a few times, but nothing came up. He glanced up. "That's probably a good sign, right?"

She shrugged. As gently as possible, she helped him stand up. "Come on, I'll take you back to your room. I'll get you some juice, and I'll check up on you every ten minutes or so. I think we've only got about an hour left until we're in Greece, so just hold on, Father."

She helped him stagger into his room, and laid him down on the bed. She made sure he was comfortable, and allowed him a light sheet to cover himself with. She brought him a cup of juice, and placed the cool washcloth on his forehead after wiping his face a last time. She put a trash can by his bed, just in case, and left the cloth for his mouth on the bedside table.

Dimming the light, she turned to leave. "I'll keep the door open a bit, okay? Try to get some rest, Father. I'll check on you soon. Goodnight."

She walked out, and went back to her own room. She lie down on the bed, closed her eyes, and soon was asleep herself.


End file.
